Safe staffing levels should be extended beyond nursing

MPs say that safe levels of staff ‘should apply to NHS and care sector’ and extended in England beyond numbers of nurses to include doctors and midwives, particularly in Accident & Emergency units, with breaches automatically triggering inspections.

The system, which has been generated following the scandal at the Stafford Hospital, will come into force in April. Although currently only nursing levels are to be published and monitored, the cross-party group of MPs has recommended that it be extended across the NHS.

Stephen Dorrell, committee chairman, said “This should be applied across the delivery of health and care – doctors, midwives, practices nurses and social workers.

“Part of the difficulty in A&E is driven by the fact there are not enough doctors of all levels.”

The College of Emergency Medicine recommends that there are at least 10 consultants for each A&E unit, with 16 for the largest units. Currently the average is just below eight.

Committee member and Labour MP Barbara Keeley, said “Staffing levels are absolutely fundamental. It is ludicrous not to be transparent about something that patients and their families can see every day.”

The suggestion came about following a report into the progress that was being made by the Care Quality Commission, which has come under criticism since its creation in 2009.

The regulator has appointed a new chief executive and chairman in 2012, and according to the MPs now has a ‘renewed sense of purpose’. To herald an era of more specialist and tougher inspections, the leadership has appointed three new chief inspectors, to cover GPs, hospitals and social care, and is also seeking to recruit more inspectors.

Mr Donnell said “We are not yet saying all the challenges have been met. But by and large we agree with the management of the CQC about their objectives and we endorse them.”

David Prior, CQC chairman, said “This report marks an important milestone.”

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